The ongoing dispute between Britain and Greece over the ownership of the Parthenon Sculptures, known as the Elgin Marbles, intensified as a scheduled meeting between their leaders was called off, raising the heat on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak cancelled the meeting with Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis after his office pointed out an agreed-upon understanding not to revisit resolved issues in public forums. Sunak’s spokesperson emphasized the need for adherence to agreements and hinted at consequences for disregarding them.
However, a senior Greek government official dismissed this statement as inaccurate. The long-standing issue involves Greece's demand for the return of the 2,500-year-old sculptures, removed by British diplomat Lord Elgin from the Parthenon temple in 1806 during Greece's Ottoman Turkish rule.
Nearly half of the temple's 160-meter frieze is housed in London, while an additional 50 meters are in Athens' Acropolis Museum, designed to echo the Parthenon's layout.
Greece persistently urges the British Museum to permanently repatriate the sculptures. Prime Minister Mitsotakis likened the separation of the carvings to slicing the Mona Lisa in half, a characterization disputed by the British government.
Amidst the dispute, both countries highlighted the risk of jeopardizing discussions on global issues like conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, the climate crisis, and a UK-Greece migration action plan.
While Greece views the meeting's cancellation as unprecedented and disrespectful, they aim to maintain good relations despite the dispute. Notably, Greece does not recognize the British Museum as the rightful owner of the sculptures.
A campaign group called the Parthenon Project, supported by British politicians from various parties, suggested a proposal for the sculptures to be reunified in Athens without settling ownership disputes.
Former Conservative culture minister Ed Vaizey criticized Sunak’s intervention, suggesting it could strain relationships with Greece further. The British government cited a law preventing the British Museum from disposing of items in its collection in most cases.
Expressing concerns over a potential "slippery slope" if the marbles were returned, Sunak’s spokesperson hinted at the possibility of similar claims from other countries, reflecting Britain's apprehensions.
The cancellation of the meeting has sparked debate and criticism from various quarters, intensifying the longstanding dispute over the Parthenon Sculptures ownership between Britain and Greece.